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Dual Diagnosis in Kentucky

People struggling with substance abuse and addiction are often affected by co-occurring mental health disorders. A dual diagnosis in Kentucky is the coexistence of a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder, with various interactions possible between these two conditions. People living with a dual diagnosis in Kentucky often require a special level of care, with some treatment facilities specializing in dual diagnosis cases. Common dual diagnosis interactions include depression and prescription drug abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism, methamphetamine induced psychosis, and anxiety disorder and sedative abuse. Co-occurring disorders often require careful care and management, including multiple levels of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy support.

What is a Dual Diagnosis in Kentucky?

People living with a dual diagnosis in Kentucky face a number of complex challenges regarding diagnosis and treatment. For example, they often struggle to access treatment due to higher rates of homelessness, unemployment, and hospitalization than the rest of the community. If they do enter treatment, incorrect diagnosis is common, with doctors often unable to differentiate between pre-existing conditions and substance induced disorders. A number of institutional issues are also prevalent, with mental health clinics and drug treatment centers historically separated and often unable to integrate for the benefit of dual diagnosis patients in Kentucky.

Depression and Addiction

The links between depression disorder and addiction are strong, with this type of dual diagnosis affecting thousands of people in Kentucky and across the United States. The relationship between depression and addiction is bi-directional in nature, with depressed people more likely to use drugs and drug addicted people often becoming depressed as a result of their addiction. The complex relationship between these disorders makes them difficult to diagnose and treat correctly, with clinicians often struggling to find a single primary disorder and instigate an appropriate treatment plan.

Treatment for this dual diagnosis in Kentucky typically involves both detox and rehab support, with behavioral therapies always useful and long-term medication treatments sometimes applied. Access to medications greatly depends on the substance and extent of addiction, with physically addictive drugs such as alcohol and heroin more likely to require medication support. Aftercare systems also play an important role during treatment, with 12-step support groups and relapse prevention programs helping patients to reintegrate with everyday life following rehab.

Anxiety and Addiction

Strong links exist between a number of anxiety disorders and psychoactive substance addiction. Connections have been found between addiction and generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and borderline personality disorder among others. Much like the links between depression and addiction, these connections are bi-directional in nature and difficult to diagnose correctly.

When analyzing the links between anxiety and addiction, special mention needs to be made of prescription sedatives. Benzodiazepine medications such as Valium, Klonopin, and Xanax are widely administered for anxiety and sleep disorders, with psychiatric patients often becoming addicted to these medications as a result of long-term exposure. A medical detox period is often needed to break the bonds of sedative addiction, with a gradual dose reduction of these drugs often administered over a long time period to avoid the dangers of abrupt withdrawal.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Kentucky

A number of treatment patterns are used to treat dual diagnosis patients in Kentucky, including primary treatment, parallel treatment, sequential treatment, and integrated treatment. Primary treatment involves treating a single disorder, with symptoms of the secondary problem often alleviated as an indirect result. Parallel treatment involves treatment for both conditions at the same time, with a second doctor and clinic sometimes needed. Sequential treatment also involves treatment for both disorders, with the secondary disorder only treated when the primary disorder has been stabilized. Integrated treatment is the most comprehensive option, with no distinction made between disorders and a single treatment plan realized.

Do not attempt to combat this complex disorder on your own. For dual diagnosis treatment in Kentucky that will give you or a loved one the best possible chances of long-term success, contact a professional today.

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